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The International Day of Protest Against Canada's Seal Hunt at the Office of the Consulate General of Canada

March 15, 2006 | Seals

New York City- On March 15th, from Noon to 2pm, Friends of Animals, an international animal advocacy organization, will come to the door of the Canadian Consulate in Manhattan, in an international day of protest to alert New York residents that the world's largest commercial hunt is set to continue this spring on the ice floes off Newfoundland's coast. Advocates will gather at 1251 Avenue of the Americas (50th Street & 6th Avenue) to urge Canadian Consulate General Pamela Wallin and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to end the seal hunt now. Activists across the world will hold vigils in solidarity with the seals.

Priscilla Feral, president of Friends of Animals, states: "Regardless of the numbers of seals targeted, or Canada's assurances that the battering is 'humane,' the seal slaughter is immoral. Seals are not resources or commodities. They're entitled to be left alone. Friends of Animals opposes the killing of seal pups for the death and suffering it imposes on every single seal."

The Canadian Department of Fisheries is set to unveil a new plan to dispose of hundreds of thousands of seals. Over the last three years, about a million seals were slaughtered on the ice, mainly for their fur. Canada's government supports the annual slaughter by establishing quotas for the kill and providing assistance on the ice. Federal funds are used for seal processing plants, to market seal furs and other seal products, and to develop new products from dead seals.

Seal pelt exports to Europe and Asia have risen as Canada continues marketing efforts. The pelts comprise a lucrative market in Russia, Denmark, Norway, Greenland, and China-not to mention in Canada itself. Each pelt represents the irreplaceable life of a pup who was too young to swim away from harm. Mother seals defending their pups may be killed along with the youngsters.

Foreign tourism brought in $18 billion in revenue to Canada in 2004, with a large portion coming from New England visitors. 78 million dollars was spent by Ottawa on the Canadian Tourism Bureau to boost the tourism industry-a figure far larger than the annual revenues from dead seals, which are $16.5 million. A foreign-tourism boycott supported by national animal advocacy groups would put pressure where it belongs-on the Canadian government-to end the seal hunt, and the federal subsidies that support it.

To act immediately on behalf of seals, you can join us this week, Wednesday the 15th, in New York City.

Comments

Submitted by Nadine Saunders on Thu, 2006-04-06 00:18

If unemployment is the issue here, as JJ suggests, then I have to ask a question...
Why did Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn tonight say on the CBC News, direct from St. John's, Newfoundland, that the main reason for this slaughter of young Seals is NOT MONEY, but CONSERVATION....?
Could this be the Minister's REVISED story, because he has to somehow justify the fact that he has just TURNED DOWN a $16 MILLION dollar offer from a US Cosmetics Guru to actually buy back the licenses and come up with alternate means of income for these 'poor sealers?"
Will JJ continue to spew the Government of Canada's pathetic rhetoric, as he has been doing on this list for days now...or will he suddenly have a change of heart and support the 'charlatan conservationist' named Loyola Hearn, who is leading this mass-slaughter of innocent beings in Newfoundland?
The drama continues tomorrow...on the days of the seal slaughter lives....

I am so glad that the turnout was a success, but I do think that this is all so insane. It's not like the seals had any say in whats happening to them. There are a lot of people out there that are blind to what's going on, my science teacher for instance. Before we take charge of the issue, more people need to know what's happening over there. But I do have some words for "JJ": do you even know what your talking about? at all? because I couldn't tell. unemployment is a big issue, but it has nothing to do with the particular subject. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!!!

If this is the same Nadine Saunders I'm thinking of she has probably never seen a seal on the ice in her life. She grew up in the interior of NFLD and was raised on Moose, Rabbit, Patridge, Ducks, Trout etc all of the land all killed or cleaned right in front of her poor little eyes. No nadine your food doesn't come from a stro foam tray, you of all people should know better.
I to have some qualms with the seal hunt but banning it outright isn't what I want to see for one thing I know that will never happen which is why these ARA extremists are approaching it in this way because they don't want to lose their major fund raiser...
If this is your way of making up for past sins against animals your sadly mistaken in your pursuits.
Blog editors' note: We cheer Nadine for inspiring activism and hope the rest of Canada will follow Nadine's lead. We've all seen plenty of seals alive and in the process of being battered. There's no need to continue to view it, but to express vigorous dissent. The point is not whether we were all raised vegetarians, but whether our adult lives make sense.

A letter to my fellow Newfoundlander:
It is unfortunate that so many of you have chosen to support the slaughter of baby seals for their fur in the Province of Newfoundland without at least trying to see another perspective first.
I have sent my Birth Certificate back to the Newfoundland Government, as a peaceful protest against their refusal to accept even a HINT of doing what is correct and ethical for these animals and for the province.
It was also a protest against the DFO's recent revocation of permits to those individuals trying to peacefully document the hunt and show the world how 'strictly enforced' and 'humane' this Seal Hunt truly is. I believe this decision has been thinly veiled by our Government as 'promoting the safety' of the activists.
It does not matter if I grew up in St. John's or St. Anthony, in Come-by-Chance or in Corner Brook, in Stephenville or in Clarenville, in Port aux Port or in Port aux Basques. All OVER Newfoundland, there are many hideous supporters of this barbaric animal cruelty towards baby Seals.
I am ashamed to call myself a Newfoundlander, and will never visit the province again until this Seal Hunt stops for good.
While this may disturb detractors, I feel in my heart that you will one day see this Seal Hunt as I do. That is, as a terrible, sad, and utterly shameful part of the history of our Country.
With the recent offer of $16 million dollars by various organizations to the Newfoundland Government, and the buy back of licenses refused, this is no longer an issue of money. It is no longer an issue of Sealer Hunters making an 'honest living', and feeding their families.
It is an issue of barbarism, sadism, ignorance, and bigotry on the part of the Government of Newfoundland, The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Prime Minister himself.

Unemployment is the issue. That just shows how much work Canada has to spread the reason for the seal hunt. If i'm making 20,000 Canadian a year, 1,500 is a lot of money.
Activists also say that the seals are killed just for there pelts. This isn't true, seal blubber is high in omega 3s and research has just proven that Omega 3 is important to a helthy diet.
When the seals are killed they are killed in a quick and humane manner. The seal population isn't hurt, in fact if the seal hunt stops all together the seal populace willl have a small surplus, something that the fragile Newfoundland fish industy cannot afford.
Why is there still a debate on this. The seal hunt helps more than it hurts
Blog editors'note: When the spike burst a seal pup's fuzzy head and its mother watches in horror, one has to be terribly out of it to say the massacre is anything other than immoral. Wake up. Along with hurting seals, Canada's apologists for the blood bath look pathetic.

This seal hunt is cruel and unacceptable. I feel so bad for the babies. Its just a blood bath in the waters. My parents and I were going to travel to Canada, but not anymore. My money is going elsewhere. This seal hunt needs to end. I pray everyday for it to end.

are you people ever going to give it's our way of life we fought for those rights to have the freedom to kill seals for a living if this was an issue in the states then we would not be having this discussion. But because Canada is such a friendly country we get flak from the rest of you. YOU eat other meats and use animal bye products in every day use get over it if you don't like our ways stay the f--- away from here.
[Blog editors' note: Thank you for dropping in, Walt. Correction: No one on our blog team eats any animals and we purposefully avoid animal by-products. We're friendly, and we like friendly people. So it's nothing against Canada. We think the government could come up with something more creative and decent to stimulate Newfoundland's economy than shooting and bludgeoning seals. In our view, that's not a "right" that a mature species would prize.]

Im wondering why the seal hunt is such a protested event. After 30 years of protest what still drives the debate. Is it all the false statements made by animal rites groups, or is it just a prejudice towards a human population.
[Blog editors' note: We have respect for the population of Newfoundland; our challenge is to Canada's government. It strongly appears that the federal government does not want to ensure a secure future for many of its coastal residents and just assumes that the seal kill will somehow be a solution to economic problems. What statements do you think are false? We'd prefer if you discussed the statements of this group, not other advocates. We can't speak for them.]

I am a proud Newfoundlander, With only a grade 12 education. I for one support the Nfld seal hunt. If you were all so well informed you would know that it is illegal to kill baby seals. When the young seal loses its white coat ang grows the grey the same color as the rest of the 9,000,000 adult seals off the coast of Nfld, its no longer dependant on its mother for any thing. With a population of 4.5 million breading pairs and an average of 900 000 new seals every year the 180 000 killed in the annual seal hunt does not add up to a species that will be extinct in the next 100 years. The same cant be said for the northern cod, adtlantic salamon, Caplain, hearing, and other species that the seals prey on. I do not support inhumaine killing methods, but in order for the balance of an ecosystem ALL species have to be controlled. Its funny how we dont protest the british fox hunt that selfishly kill foxes mearly for sport. What about the american fishing boats that come to canadian waters and over fish while my family in nfld cant catch 1 fish to eat.
[Blog editors' note: Craig, then you must be aware that those grew hairs start popping up only a couple of weeks after the seals' birth. They are still very young. But their age, to us, is not the point. The point is asking why we humans think we are in fact put on this planet to control other species and all of nature. We disagree with that position, so actually we do not believe we should be running the lives of those fish you mention either. We do not support the U.S. fishing boats. We disagree with what they are doing every bit as much as we disagree with the seal-killing.]